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Incapacity Benefit - make better claims

The IB50 questionnaire

Please note: it is no longer possible to make a new claim or a linked claim for incapacity benefit or income support. A claim must be made for employment and support allowance (ESA) instead. All current incapacity claimants will be reassessed for ESA between March 2011 and 2014.

Completing the IB50 incapacity benefit questionnaire in as much detail as possible and enclosing supporting evidence can increase the chances of your being found incapable of work without having to have a medical. The Benefits and Work 40+ page guides to incapacity benefit claims on mental health and physical health grounds take you page by page through the questionnaire explaining what evidence you need to give in each box and giving sample answers. We also explain the value of supporting evidence and how to obtain it.

The Med4

In most cases, when you fill in your first questionnaire, you will also be asked to get a certificate called a Med4 from your GP. Although it's only a very short certificate, what your GP writes on it can make an enormous difference to your incapacity benefit claim, including affecting whether you need to have a medical and whether you can be found exempt from the PCA.

Unfortunately, most doctors have never had so much as a days' training in completing sickness certificates. Our guides explain what the Med4 is for and what you need to discuss with the doctor before they complete it.

The IB113 form

Your GP may also be sent a form IB113 to complete if the DWP think you might be exempt from the PCA. We explain when this is likely to be sent and what your GP needs to know about from you before they complete it..